Tie-plate



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B.WOLHAUPTER.

y TIEPLATE. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 22, 1903. 110 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET1.

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B. WOLHAUPTER.

- TIE PLATE.

A PL'IOATIoN FILED JUNE. 22. 1903.. .110 MODEL. 2 snsms-si1fim 2.

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Patented February 9, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN IVOLHAUPTER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TIE-PLATE. I

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,967, dated February9, 1904.-

Application filed June 22, 1903.

To all whom; it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN WOLHAUP- TER, of Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tie-Plates; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in railway-tie plates or plateswhich rest upona wooden railway-tie beneath the rail and serve to afforda rigid bearing-surface for the rail and to prevent the wearing away ofthe tie through contact of the rail therewith, and more specifically tomeans for adjustably securing such tie-plates to the ties.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanyingdrawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is aplan view of a part of a rail and a tie-plate, together with a portionof a tie upon which the tie-plate rest. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of therail and tieplate, taken upon line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3

is a detail cross-section taken upon line 3 3' of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isadetail section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. tie-plate generally likethat shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but differing somewhat therefrom in detailsof construction. Fig. 6 is a plan View of a form of tie-plate differingsomewhat from that shown in the preceding figures.

As illustrated in said drawings, A designates a wooden railway-tie, B arail, and C a tie-plate whichrests upon the tie beneath the ,rail and onwhich the rail rests. Said tieplate is fiat in its general form and isprovided with generally parallel top and bottom surfaces. The tie-plateis, moreover, provided at the outer margin of its rail-bearing surfaceor rail-seat with an elevated rib c, which extends across the plateparallel with the ends thereof and forms a shoulder adapted for contactwith the base-flange of the rail. Said flange is located at the outerside of the rail Fig. 5 is aplan View of a Serial Illa. 162,504. (Nomodel.)

base or flange, so as to resist the outward pressure of thewheel-flanges on the rail or prevent the rail from shifting or movingoutward under the side thrust of the vehiclewheels. The tie-plate is,moreover, provided at-opposite sides of the rail-seat with two or morespike-holes 0, through which are inserted the spikes D, by which therail is secured to the tie.

One of the principal features of my invention is embraced in aconstruction of a tieplate by which a tie-plate provided with ashoulder, against which the outer edge of the rail-base bears, isprovided also with a bearing or contact surface which faces laterallyand outwardly with respect to the rail and which is arranged obliquelyor with its ends at unequal distances from the said shoulder and isadapted for contact or engagement with a stud which is driven into thetie and projects at its upper end above the same in position forengagement with said bearing-surface. Said oblique bearing oncontactsurface by its engagement with the said stud serves to hold thetie-plate from shifting endwise or laterally with respect to the railand by reason of its obliquity or inclination is adapted when thetie-plate is shifted both endwise or laterally with respect to the railor is moved in an oblique path corresponding with the inclination of thesaid surface to remain in engagement or contact with the said stud. Thisprovision of an oblique laterally-facing bearing-surface is designed toenable the tieplate to be adjusted and shifted on the tie both endwiseand laterally with respect to the rail, so that when it becomesnecessary to shift the position of the rail to compensate for wear onthe inner side of the rail-head or to correct the alinement of the railthe tie-plate may be shifted in the manner described to bring anotherpart of the said oblique surface in en- When the rail is shiftedinwardly to compensate for wear on the inner edge of its head or tocorrect the alinement of the track, the tie-plate made as described maybe so shifted obliquely until the rail-engaging shoulder is in contactwith the outer edge of the rail-base and after it is shifted will bepositively held by the engagement of the holding-stud with its saidinclined surface from outward move- Inent without depending on therail-holding spikes for this purpose. The inclination of the saidlaterally-facing oblique bearing-surface with respect to the side edgesof the rail will not be so great that the pressure of said obliquesurface on the stud will have any appreciable tendency to move or shiftthe plate in a direction endwise of the rail, it being of courseunderstood that the rail-holding spikes by their engagement with theplate will serve to partially hold the plate from any such movementendwise of the rail.

4 Referring to the illustration of the features of the tie-platereferred to as contained in the drawings, Figs. 1 to 4:, the obliquebearing or engaging surfaces of the tie-plate and the holding-studscommunicating or cooper ating therewith are made as follows: In the bodyportion of the tie-plate which forms the rail-seat are formed four studreceiving or engaging slots E E E E the lateral margins of whichconstitute the laterally-facing bearing-surfaces. These slots arearranged obliquely in two sets or pairs, the slots E and E constitutingone pair and being arranged near one end of the tie-plate and in linewith each other and the slots E and E constituting the other pair, beingarranged near the opposite or outer margin of the tie-plate and also inaline with each other. By reason of the oblique position or arrangementof the said slots the opposite ends thereof are at un' equal distancesfrom the side margin'of the rail-base when the rail rests upon thetie-plate or, in other words, atunequal distances from therib 0 of thetie-plate. In connection with the obliquely-arranged slots described Iemploy four holding-studs F F F F, which are driven into the tie and theupper ends of which project into said slots, one of said studs beingarranged with each of said slots. Ordinarily 'the adjustment required inthe rail and tieplate will be inwardly or toward the center of the trackby reason of the fact that lateral adjustment of the rail is most oftenrequired by reason of the wearing away of the inner face of therail-head, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Such inner.adjustmentof therailand tie-plate may also be required by reason of the studsbeing slightly moved or shifted outwardly by the yielding or giving ofthe .wood of the tie in which they are driven under continued outwardpressure upon their upper end. The holding-studs will therefore I in thefirst instance be rigidly secured in position to engage the ends of theholding-slots nearest the track at the inner edge of the rail, thisbeing the position of the holding-studs. (Shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings.) In first laying the track, therefore, the tie-plate willusually be placed on the tie beneath the rail, with its rib 0 bearingagainst the outer edge of the rail-base, and the four holding-studs willthen be driven through the slots at the ends thereof remote from thesaid rib 0 and when so driven serve to hold the tie-plate firmly andrigidly in position Without depending upon the rail-spikes for thispurpose. If adjustment of the rail and tie-plate is later required, therail-spikes will be withdrawn to release the rail and tie-plate and thetie-plate then shifted vor driven endwise of the rail in a direction tocarry the studs toward the opposite ends of the slots from those inwhich they were first driven until the rail has been shifted inwardly adesired distance by the action of the rib 0 therein or until said rib cis brought closely into contact with the railbase if the rail is firstshifted to its new position. The rail-spikes will 'thenbe again drivento fasten the rail to the tie, it being usual. to plug the originalspike-holes in the tie in order that the spikes will firmly hold whenredriven. I

The holding-studs E may be made of any suitable shape adapting them tobe driven and to be engaged at their upper ends with the slots in thetie-plate. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, said studs E are made wideand thin, of rectangular form in crosssection,tapered at their flatsides at their driving ends or points and slightly enlarged at theirupper ends where they engage the slots in the tie-plate. The makingofthe studs of wide and thin shape has the advantage of making thembetter adapted to enter the wood of the tie with a minimum effect inbreaking up or rupturing the grain of the wood and also of making thembetter adapted to hold in the tie against the lateral pressure thereon.Such slots will usually be slightly tapered upwardly or from their loweror inner to their outer or upper ends, this being the shape that willusually be given to the said slots when made by a punching operation bypunches acting on the bottom or under side of the tie-plate, and whenthe slots are so formed the studs will prefer,- ably be enlarged attheir upper ends, as described, so that they will more closely oraccurately fit the side faces of the slots.

The tie-plate shown in Fig. 5 isgenerally similar to that beforedescribed; but in this instance the said plate is provided with obliqueslots G G G G, arranged in pairs and having the same relation to eachother as the pairs of slots shown in Fig, 1, but located near the endmargins of the tie-plate outside of the railseat.

In the further modification of the tie-plate illustrated in Fig. 6 thesame is provided with a single oblique slot H, located in the rail-seat,and with an oblique marginal bearingsurface I, formed on the outer endmargin of the tieplate outside of the rib c, said bearing-surface Ibeing parallel with the slot H. In connection with the said slot H andbearing-surface I are employed four holding-studs J J J 2 J which arearranged and operate in connection with said slot H and bearing-surfaceI in the same manner as do the holdingstuds described in connection withFigs. 1 to 4:. The employment of two or four holding-studs in connectionwith each plate is preferred, because the engagement of two studsatlaterallyseparated points on the plate prevents liability of the platebecoming twisted or being thrown out of its'parallel relation to therail through the outward pressure of the latter.

Ordinarily the extent of adjustment required in the tie-plate will notexceed that afforded by the length of the oblique slots E E 13 E of Fig.1; but if in any case a greater extent of adjustment is required thetie-plate may be moved or shifted, so as to bring the studs F and Fwhich first engage the slots E and E, into engagement with the slots Eand E and other studs will then be driven in position to engage theslots E and E The same is true of the construction shown in Figs. 5 and6; but the construction shown in Fig. 6 permits a greater range ofmovement in the tie-plate for the purpose of adjustment than that shownin the other figures without the driving of additional holding-studs.

An important advantage of the construction described is that thisconstruction affords a means for holding the tie-plate from outwardmovement without dependence on the rail-holding spikes, while at thesame time it avoids the necessity of the withdrawal from the tie and thereinsertion therein of the tieengaging studs when the tie-plate isshifted in elfecting its adjustment. In that form of tie-plateheretofore commonly used, wherein the tie-plate is provided on itsbottom surface with downwardlyprojecting integral prongs, it becomesnecessary to withdraw the prongs or claws fromthe tie and to reinsertthem whenever the tie-plate is shifted. Such withdrawal and reinsertionof the prongs or claws is objectionable, because when the tieplate isshifted only a short distance the prongs I or claws are not easilydriven into the tiein their new position, but tend to return to theholes originally made in the first driving of the prongs, and alsobecause the withdrawal and reinsertion of the prongs has the objectionof greatly injuring the tie because breaking the grain thereof in anumber of places and leaving a number of holes which will be liable toretain water or moisture, and thus lead to the rapid rotting of the tieand the weakening of the surface of the tie which is subjected to thepressure of the load coming upon the rail and tie-plate. In the use ofthe tie-plate constructed as herein set forth these objections areentirely avoided, because for the ordinary range of adjustment requiredin the tie-plate the holding-studs remain in their original positions inthe tie and require no shifting, and if it becomes necessary to move thetie-plate a greater distancethan is afforded by the length of the.oblique slots therein and other studs are inserted, as hereinbeforedescribed, the plate will be shifted so far that the studs originallyengaged with the slots E and E will come outside of the margin of thetie-plate and may remain in the tie, or if the two unused studs beremoved from the tie theywill leave only two holes located at suchdistance from the remaining studs as to be unobjectionable, and as thetie-plate will have been shifted away from said holes they will not beleft in the part of the tie on which the tie-plate rests, so that theirpresence will not lead to the injury or weakening of the part of the tieon which the pressure of the tieplate comes or by which the tie-plate isimmediately supported.

I claim as my invention- 1. A tie-plate which is movable on the tieendwise of the rail and is provided with an oblique bearing-surfacewhich faces laterally with respect to the rail and is separate from anybearing-surface of the plate which is engaged by a railholding"spike,said oblique bearing-surface being adapted for engagement with the upperend of a holding-stud driven into the tie.

2. A tie-plate which is movable on the tie endwise of the rail and isprovided with a shoulder adapted for engagement with the outer edge ofthe rail-base, and with an oblique bearing-surface which faces laterallywith respect to the rail and is separate from any bearing-surface of theplate which is engaged by a rail-holding spike, said obliquebearing-surface being adapted for engagement with a holding-stud driveninto the tie.

3. A tie-plate provided wi h an oblique slot, one margin of which formsa bearing-surface which faces laterally with respect to the rail andisseparate from any bearing-surface of the plate which is engaged byarail-holding spike, said slot being adapted for engagement with theupper end of a stud driven into the tie.

4:. A tie-plate provided with a shoulder adapted for engagement with theouter edge of the rail-base, and having an oblique slot, one margin ofwhich forms a bearingsurface which faces laterally with respect to therail and is separate from any bearing-surface of the plate with anoblique bearing-surface which faces laterally with respect to the railand which is separate from any bearing-surface of the plate which isengaged by a rail-holding spike, and a holding-stud adapted to be driveninto the tie and to be engaged at its upper end with saidlaterally-facing oblique surface.

6. The combination with atie-plate provided With a shoulder adapted forengagement with the outer edge of the rail-base and having an obliquebearing-surface which faces laterally with respect to the rail and isseparate from any bearing-surface of the plate which is engaged by arail-holding spike, of a holdingstud adapted to be driven into the tie,with its upper end in engagement with the said laterally-facing obliquebearing-surface.

7 A tie-plate which is movable on the tie endwise of the rail and isprovided in its rail-seat with a plurality of oblique slots, one sidemargin of each of which constitutes a bearing-surface which faceslaterally with respect to the rail and, is separate from anybearing-surface of the plate which is engaged by a rail-holding spike,said oblique slots being adapted for engagement with the upper ends ofholdingstuds driven into the tie.

8. A tie-plate provided at the outer margin of its rail-seat with ashoulder adapted for engagement with the outer margin of the railbaseand with a plurality of oblique slots located at opposite sides of thetransverse center line of the plate and'adapted for engagement with theupper ends of studs driven into the tie.

9. A tie-plate provided with two oblique slots arranged in alinementwith each other and adapted for engagement with studs driven into thetie.

10. The combination with a tie-plate provided with a shoulder adaptedfor engagement with the outer edge of the rail-base and with abearing-surface which faces -laterally with respect to the rail, of oneor more flat, thin studs adapted to be driven into the tie in contactwith said bearing-surface of the plate, to hold the plate againstlateral movement on the tie.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix mysignature, in presence of two witnesses, this 13th day of May, A. D.1903.

BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER. Witnesses:

C. CLARENCE POOLE, GERTRUDE BRYCE.

